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Obama ‘Disappointed’ in Voting Rights Act Ruling

BERLIN, GERMANY - JUNE 19: U.S. President Barack Obama gives a joint press conference on June 19, 2013 in Berlin, Germany. Obama is visiting Berlin for the first time during his presidency and his speech at the Brandenburg Gate is to be the highlight. Obama will be speaking close to the 50th anniversary of the historic speech by then U.S. President John F. Kennedy in Berlin in 1963, during which he proclaimed the famous sentence: "Ich bin ein Berliner". (Photo by Timur Emek/Getty Images)

Obama says in a statement Tuesday that voting discrimination in the U.S. still exists. He says the high court’s ruling is a setback but that efforts to end voting discrimination will continue.

Obama says the decision overturns well-established practices that for decades have helped making voting fair in places where historically there has been discrimination. He’s calling on Congress to pass laws to ensure every American has equal voting access.

The justices said in a 5-4 ruling Tuesday that the provision can’t be enforced until Congress comes up with a new way of determining which states and localities require close federal monitoring of elections.